


You Were a Poet

by Casey_Wolfe



Category: Battle Creek (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Community: smallfandomfest, Fluff, M/M, Post-S1E12, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 02:19:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4204188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Casey_Wolfe/pseuds/Casey_Wolfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The idea that Russ was a poet in high school won’t leave Milt alone.  His curiosity leads to discovery- not just about Russ but about himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Were a Poet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fall_into_your_sunlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fall_into_your_sunlight/gifts), [Nika_Mikaela](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nika_Mikaela/gifts).



> This messes with episodes 11 and 12 a bit.  All blame for this idea goes to Trust… cause we talk about these two idiots far too much and come up with all of these crazy things.  And then she encourages me to write out said crazy things.  She is a horrible influence and should be punished…  with cookies.

Alright, Milt could admit he really shouldn't have gone back to the English teacher’s house after the case was all said and done.  It wasn’t his place to be looking at Russ’ old poetry without the man’s permission.  However the idea of Russ as a poet back in high school wouldn’t leave him alone.  He just simply _had_ to see some of his work.

That was how he ended up telling a little white lie, saying he was there to pick up copies of Russ’ poems for him since they had been forced to rush out as they had before.  He had gotten the small bundle with ease and had since poured over them.

For a kid, Milt thought most of them were rather inspired.  Even the ones that were raunchy in nature had some hidden meaning underneath, beautiful in their own right.  Clearly his former teacher hadn’t exaggerated.  Despite not knowing much about poetry himself, Milt found them enjoyable.  He would read them at home in the evenings and think about what type of person Russ used to be.

That of course led him to wonder if Russ still wrote.  What would his subjects be now? He spent far too much time thinking on it, to the point of distraction.

One day they were taking Russ’ car out for a lunch run, picking up food for the others who were still plugging away at their current case.  Russ had gone inside, leaving Milt alone to wait in the car.  His eyes were wandering when he spotted a notebook sticking out from where it was shoved between the driver’s seat and center console.

Milt knew he shouldn’t but his curiosity got the better of him.  He pulled it out, flipping it open at random.  What he found was poetry and various prose.  Milt couldn’t help but let out a little huff.  He should have suspected that Anti-Tech Agnew would chose to write longhand.

He glanced up at the restaurant door before flipping to the newest pages.  The topic however stopped him in his tracks.  They were about _him_.

His face heated as he realized they were romantic in nature, never figuring Russ would be the type to return Milt’s feelings.  He had admittedly grown fond of the cantankerous Detective but had done nothing about it given he assumed Russ to be straight.

After reading a quick poetic musing on the shape of his own lips however, Milt could admit he was mistaken.  He also knew he couldn’t be caught with the notebook, shoving it back exactly the way he had found it.

It was a good thing too, Russ finally emerging with two big paper bags in hand.  He tossed them into the car at Milt before getting in, muttering about how long it had taken.  As he was starting the car, Russ looked over and apparently caught the expression on Milt’s face.  “What?”

“Nothing.”  Milt focused straight ahead, willing himself not to give anything away.

“Uh huh.”  It was clear Russ didn’t believe him. Thankfully he chose to drop it.

* * *

Milt groaned, pushing the keyboard away and resting his head on his forearms across the desk.  Knowing about Russ’ feelings was driving him more insane than reading those poems had.  Besides, weren’t he and Holly supposedly a thing now?  Milt wasn’t the type to believe in office rumors and Russ himself had denied anything happened between them.  Perhaps it was best then to let things play out, to see where they went.

No, that wouldn’t work.  Even if Russ did indeed have feelings for him, it was obvious the man wasn’t about to come out and say it.  If Russ’ pining over Holly had shown anything, it was that.  That meant Milt would have to make the first move.

He could have kicked himself when he decided to _be romantic_ and write Russ poetry of his own.  It wasn’t Milt’s thing, something that was decidedly difficult for him in fact.  Despite it being out of his comfort zone, Milt was determined to do it.  He had already started making the man more food after the whole jam thing- as cooking was something he infinitely enjoyed and liked doing for Russ- but he felt it only fair that he try and share something _Russ_ cared about.

Milt cursed as he ended up deleting the last two lines he wrote, watching the cursor blink at him mockingly.

* * *

When Russ walked into the office to find another folded piece of paper sticking out from under his keyboard, he hesitated.  It was the third time now and he was no closer to figuring out who was behind it than before.  Maybe if the city would invest in more _cameras_ in the precinct, not just the ones in the entry hall, he would already have it figured out.  Well, that and if he could get Guz to agree to run the damn prints off them.

With no one else the wiser about what was going on, Russ kept his mouth shut and didn’t ask his colleagues questions.  Guz had already told him to just relax and enjoy being courted.  Russ snorted at the memory- _yeah, courted._ Because that was something anyone did anymore.

Of course that meant Russ had a sneaking suspicion on who was behind it.  After all, who else did he know that would be all old fashioned about this?  And it wasn’t as though many people knew- or remembered- he wrote poetry.  It had to be Milt but he had no proof of that.

He would have asked himself what it would matter anyway but Russ wasn’t _that_ in denial.  His little _crush_ on Milt had grown far beyond that and while he partly hated himself for it- _Seriously Agnew?  You pick_ _**this** _ _guy?_ \- the other part knew it didn’t much matter anyway- _What’s a guy like Milt gonna give_ _**you** _ _the time of day for?  Get real._

Thus Russ had confided his feelings into words, letting them flow out onto the page and tucking it away there where they couldn’t get to him.

As he sat down at his desk, pulling the latest poem out, Russ wondered how long Milt would make him wait.

* * *

He was caught.  Milt let a small sigh pass over his lips, turning around to find Russ standing there.  Everyone had gone home for the night, Russ included, which was why Milt was there in the Detective office, slipping a new poem onto Russ’ desk.

“You were staking the office out,” Milt accused, passing over the paper when Russ held out his hand.

“Mhmm.”  Russ hummed, not even bothering to hide his pride.  In the dim light of the office he could make out Russ’ grin.  “Came in through the back stairwell and hid out on the upper balcony.”

“Nice,” Milt complimented, giving the man credit for outfoxing him.

To Milt’s chagrin, the Detective opened the poem and started to read it then and there.  He shifted his weight back, unable to do anything other than watch.  That meant he could see when Russ’ face softened, when the corner of his mouth hinted at a smile.  “This one’s pretty good,” Russ mentioned, eyes alighting on Milt.

“I, um…”  His eyes drifted away, rubbing at the back of his neck.  “I had a little help this time.”

“Mrs. Z?” Russ guessed, naming the English teacher, and Milt nodded.

“You really think it’s okay?”

“Yeah.  You’re getting better.”  There was a pause before he inquired, “So who’s this person you keep writing about?”

Milt huffed.  “I think you know very well Detective Agnew.”

A small smirk crossed Russ’ face.  “Just checking.”

He didn’t give Milt a chance to reply, pulling him into a tender kiss.  Milt was pleasantly surprised, smiling into the kiss as his arm wrapped around Russ’ waist to hold the man even closer.

/End

**Author's Note:**

> Filling a prompt for the Small Fandom Fest: Russ starts to write poetry again. It surprises him who he ends up writing about.
> 
> Meh, I think I may have failed at the prompt? I dunno. It just ended up being more from Milt's point of view rather than Russ'. *sigh*
> 
> Follow me on [Tumblr](http://thedenofcaseywolfe.tumblr.com/).


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